A YORK priest who is already in charge of six city centre churches is now set to take on responsibility for a seventh.

The Rev Jane Nattrass will be priest in charge of St Lawrence Church in Lawrence Street at the end of April.

She takes over from controversial cleric Father Tim Jones, who hit the headlines across the world in 2009 when he advised the desperate and needy to shoplift, saying that stealing from large national chains was sometimes the best option many vulnerable people had. He moved on from the church last year.

Rev Nattrass is already priest in charge at All Saints Pavement, St Deny’s, St Helen’s, St Martin’s, St Olave’s and Holy Trinity.

She will be licensed in her new role by the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, and installed by the Archdeacon of York, the Venerable Sarah Bullock, at a special service to be held at 7.30pm on Thursday, April 30, followed by a buffet in the church hall, to which all are welcome.